It is true to say that in the last fifty years society, as a whole, has undergone a dramatic shift in ideologies, morals and perspectives. Naturally, this has led to an evolution of all cultural art forms as they reflect and react to these changes. Therefore, the question arises as to whether an audience is still gratified by the horror movie of years past, or whether this genre also displays fundamental differences. How far has this affected the end product, and are horror movies any more successful now then they were in the 1960s?

As the film industry grows from strength to strength there have been numerous innovations and advances in the special effects field, which has revolutionised on-screen images and has allowed directors a much greater freedom in believable visuals. Along with these innovations, audiences have also advanced, and have come to expect the infinitely deceiving, seamless computer graphics to give them the ultimate visual experience, forfeiting the need for imagina

One of the most interesting angles to consider when comparing these two films is the reaction that both films received on their release. From a twenty first century viewpoint, it is easy to categorise Scream as a graphic film that features gratuitous sex and violence due to the liberal attitudes of modern audiences; and to commend Hitchcock’s reserve and restrained portrayal of violence in Psycho. But in order to make a fair comparison we need to take a relative approach. When Psycho was released in 1960, it was unlike anything that had ever been released before, and therefore met with mixed reviews from critics. Dustin Putman again points out that: “At the time of its release, Psycho, was a highly courageous and explicit film, dealing with brutal murder, risqué (in 1960) sexual situations, and the ideas of the Oedipal complex and transvestitism.” Whilst these subject matters are no longer seen as so shocking today, they led many to criticise the film, including Film Quarterly's Ernest Callenbach, who named Psycho, "surely the sickest film ever made." Whether these reactions were well founded, or merely reflected the rumoured bitterness that Hitchcock had neglected advance press screenings of the film, even those critics that took against the film so violently at first changed their opinions within a year of the films release and recognised its superior artistic merit.

The question that really remains to be answered is whether, overall, Scream bears fair comparison to the Hitchcock classic, Psycho. I think it is fair to judge this on not only the artistic merit of the films but also the position that they hold in cinema history. Although Scream is admittedly the newer film, it is impossible to put it into the same bracket as Psycho as far as impact on its audience is concerned. Psycho raised such objections and occupied such a high profile place in the public consciousness, initially through shock, and then later through celebration, that it can undoubtedly be called one of the great Hitchcock masterpieces. That fact alone is impressive, as any film that managed such a colossal turn around in audience opinion must be viewed as outstanding. Therefore if we are judging the horror genre solely on its ability to be controversial, surely Psycho is definitive. It combines such stylised cinematography and editing technique that it has a distinctive style that gives it artistic merit. Dustin Putman declares that: “As a horror film, it is a horrifying study in terror, and as film in general, it is a brilliant study in style and mood, as well as the darkest regions of a person's psyche.”

So then, the key to the success of Psycho at the time of its release was, as it was with Scream, the fact that it redefined the genre and pushed boundaries of what is acceptable. Advertised as Hitchcock’s “most shocking” film, it was unlike anything that had been attempted before, and this shook the audience. Because the film was so unconventional and daring, it appealed mainly to a younger audience, although this estranged a large part of Hitchcock’s established audience. This met with success because Hitchcock astutely realised that "Audiences are changing.... Nowadays you have to show [young people] as they themselves behave". This principle tallies with the principle behind Scream to a certain extent. That too recognises that an intelligent audience can evolve and expect more from a genre piece. Again, whilst pushing the boundaries of creating horror mainly through depiction, Scream provides more on an intellectual level. It appeals to the audience that doesn’t entirely want to believe what it is being shown, but who are so familiar with the format of the genre that they can feel a part of the film as they second guess, alongside the on-screen characters, what will happen next. This gives a certain empowerment to an audience as it gratifies their own thoughts and ideas.

One of the most fundamental differences between th

Some topics in this essay:
Psycho Bates, Advertised Hitchcock’s, Witch Project, Instead Psycho, Dustin Putman, , Sidney Marion, Whilst Scream, Ernest Callenbach, Scream Hitchcock, horror genre, horror movie, horror film, special effects, dustin putman, artistic merit, question arises, twenty century, horror movies, fundamental differences,